Joseph wabeen cutlee



y 5, 1931; J. w. CUTLER 1,804,050

CLOSURE FOR MAIL CHUTES Filed Feb. 1, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l 41 2 CLQSE D P I INVEN TOR.

i Wrrezz CaZZa' TTORNE Y.

May 5, 1931. t J, w. cu 1,804,050

CLOSURE FOR MAIL CHUTES Filed Feb 1, 19.30 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5 I 36 0 i6 QAAAAAAA Patented May 5, 1931 JOSEPH WARREN CUTLER, OF R-OGI-EESTER, NE W'YORK, ASSIGNCR TO CUTLER MAIL GHUTE 00., F RQCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK CLOSURE FOB TEAEI. CHUTES Application filed February 1, 1930. Serial No. 425,303.

. My present invention relates to mail chutes or letter drops, such as are'used in buildings to conduct letters from mailing points on the several floors to a common receptacle or mail I collect-ion box usually located on the ground floor. These chutes are locked and are under the control of authorized persons only. The locking device for each chute section on the respective floors usually consists of a single locking'bar or element that is key controlledand which holds aremovable panel or door in place. Removal of the panel gives access to the interior of the chute and also to its fastening means, whereby the other ls'elements may be dismantled when the panel is unlocked and removed. The mailingaperture itself is in the panel and the general object of theypresent invention is to provide a simple and efficient means for closing the mailing aperture at :any one or all floors when it is desired to temporarily stop the use of the chute, as for instance when aportion of it-is under repair, is being cleaned, or has been clogged with mail matter that must be disl0dged The improvements are further -directed toward providing sucha closure with an operating element accessible only from the interior of the chute so that it can- 'not be operated by other than authorized I persons while the beforementioned key controlling locking devicefor thechute -gener-- ally is the only locking element involved, no separate lock being required forthe closure.

To these and other ends, the invention re- 85 tionsof parts, all as will be hereinafter'more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claimsat the end of the specification. r

'In the drawings;

F ig; 1 is a front elevation of a mail chute section provided with a mail receiving aperture enlarged constructed'in accordance with and illustrating oneembodilnent of my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on the line 22- of Fig.1, showingthe aperture open; N

Fig. 3 is a similar sectionfthrough the panel alone showing the apertureclosed;

sides in certain improvements and combina-' Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary rear or inside view of the mail receivingattachment or casting;

Fig. 5 is a further enlarged fragmentary rear view or the mail receiving element alone with its cover plate removed to reveal interior parts; i 1

Fig. 6 is a fragment of the showing of Fig. 5 with the operating'member in the open position; I

Fig.7 is a section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a section on the line 88 of Fig. 5;

Fig; 9 is a further enlar ed section on the line 99 :of'Fig. 6;

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary section on the line 101O of Fig. 6, and

Fig: 11 is an enlarged detailed perspective View of a tension spring for the operc ting member.

. Similar reference numerals through the several views indicate the same'parts.

The chute construction with which I have shown my improvements applied and which appears complete in Fig. 1 comprises a floor base 1; a ceiling fitting 2; a wall support 3; and a main'chute channel 4 suitably secured to the latter and open at the front. A suitable distance back from their front edges the side walls are provided with shoulders 5 against which the mouldings 6 of the glass panels? and 8 fit to close the front ofthe chute. The upper and lower ends of these panels 7 and 8 interlock with the ceiling and base elementsQ and 1 respectively,while at the center their meeting ends are held and locked in place by a swinging locking bar 9 pivoted. at 10 and having a key. controlled look at the opposite end 11. By releasing the lock 11 and swinging the bar to the left, the panel 8 particularly may be removed.

The mail receiving elements is carried by the panel 8 and consists in the'present instance of a casting 12 having an exteriorly arranged aperture or letter opening '13 at its front and top and lugs 14: by which it is secured in the mouldings 6, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Referring more particularly to the figures on sheet 2, the rectangular in- -teriorcavityatthe rear or inside of the casting or shell i provided with l gs, indi ated generally at 15 and 16 at its upper corners, in which are formed horizontal open bearings 17 to take trunnions 18 formed at the end of a sheet metal closure 19. The latter is adapted to swing upwardly from the open position of Fig. 7 to the closed position of Fig; 8.

There is also a vertical open bearing 20 in the lug 15, in which is pivoted at 21 an operating element 22 having a substantially horizontal actuating arm 23 at its upper end.

The normal position of this arm and the operating member in general is that shown in Figs. 6 and 7 with the door or closure 19 vertical and open for the reception of letters to the aperture 18. When it is desired to close the aperture and place the chute section out of commission, the operating member 22, (accessible only from the interior of the panel and after the removal of the latter) is turned or twisted to the right, swinging the actuating arm 23 from the position of Fig. 6 to that of Fig. 8, whereby it engages the under face of the closure 19 and swings it up into operative position against any possible release through downward pressure from the outside. It is released, of course, by a reverse movement.

An inclined plate 2 1- secured at 25 to the front or bottom of the cavity in the element 12 sheds the letters to the rear of the chute and is provided with prongs 26 to prevent mail matter that is too bulky from being inserted. The securing devices 25 are, in the present instance, screws rendering the plate readily removable for cleaning and the screws take into busses or lugs 29 on the element 12. The upper end of the plate 30 takes into the corner of the casting, as shown, concealing its raw edge and making the provision of further fastening means unnecessary.

The rear and top of the cavity is partially closed by a cover plate 27 fastened by screws 28 t0 the lugs 15 and 16. This plate closes the bearings 17 and 20 and holds the pivoted parts turning therein and heretofore described, in place. The operating member 22 or its finger portion projects below the plate, as shown in Fig. 4, to be readily accessible to the operator, and in order to place a frictional resistance on the movements thereof and hold it in any position to which it is adjusted, I provide the bowed leaf spring 28, shown in 11. As appears from Fig. 10, this spring is laid between the cover plate 27 and the pivoting portion 21 of the operating member and need not be otherwise secured.

It will be seen that in the above described less, as the operating member with. its actuating arm 23, on the one hand, and the closure 19, on the other, turn on axes at right is accessible only from the interior of the panel, so that the one lock 11 for the chute as a whole suffices for requirements of proper authorization for the control of the mailing aperture.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a mail chute, the combination with a chute section and a removable and replaceable panel therefor provided with a mail receiving element provided with an aperture, of a closure for the aperture, and an operating member for the closure pivoted to turn on avertical axis and accessible only from the inner side of the panel.

2. In a mail chute, the combination with a chute section and a removable and replaceable panel therefor provided with a mail re ceiving element provided with an aperture, of a closure for the aperture, pivoted on a horizontal axis to swing upwardly into operative position, and an operating member for the closure pivoted on a vertical axis.

3. In a mail chute, the combination with a chute section and a removable and replaceable panel therefor provided with a mail receiving element provided with an aperture, of a closure for the aperture, pivoted on a horizontal axis to swing upwardly into operative position, and an operating member for the closure pivoted on a vertical axis and comprising a vertical pivoting arm and a horizontal actuating arm proceeding therefrom and cooperating with the under side of the closure.

1. In a mail chute, the combination with a chute section and a removable and replaceable panel therefor provided with a mail receiving casting having an aperture on its exterior and open bearings on its interior formed therein, of a closure for the aperture pivoted in one of the open bearings, an operating member for the closure pivoted in the other open bearing and a cover plate on the inside of the mail receiving element closing both bearings.

5. In a mail chute, the combination with a chute section and a removable and replaceable panel therefor provided with a mail receiving casting having an aperture on its exterior and respectively horizontal and vertical open hearings on its interior formed therein, of a closure for the aperture pivoted in the horizontal bearings to move upwardly into operative position, an operating member for the closure pivoted in the other vertical oven bearing and having an arm swinging horizontally to actuate the closure, and a cover plate on the inside of the mail receiving element closing both bearings.

6. In a mail chute, the combination with a chute section having a front panel provided with a mail receiving casting shell having a letter opening in the top thereof and lugs in its interior projecting from its front Wall, of an inclined plate fastened to the lugs with its upper edge fitted into the angle of the front upper corner of the casting; said plate being adapted to shed letters toward the rear of the chute and being provided with prongs to prevent the entrance through the letter opening of bulky mail matter.

JOSEPH VARREN CUTLER. 

